WHO’S YOUR TUTOR?

By Emily Richmond

Monday, June 11, 2007 | 7:02 a.m.

To 63 Clark County families, the deal sounded pretty good.

Sign up your student for a free online tutoring program and get a home computer and Internet access at the company's expense.

That's what StudentNest promised last fall. But what the company provided was something else entirely.

The tutoring, paid out of the district's share of federal funds earmarked for needy students at low-achieving schools, was supposed to begin in November. By early spring only three families had received their computers - refurbished machines in poor condition, said Patsy Saas, a director in the Clark County School District's Title I office, which oversees the tutoring program.

"It was a total bust," Saas said.

Here's how such a story would typically end: The Clark County School District sends a letter to parents, warning them of the numerous complaints and problems with the tutoring company, and refuses to do more business with StudentNest.

But the federal No Child Left Behind Act forbids districts from singling out a tutoring company for criticism or praise (principals may answer honestly if a parent calls for an opinion). And it's the state, not the district, that decides which companies can provide tutors. The district can petition the state to remove a provider from the list of approved companies, but only after two years of problems.

If StudentNest returns to Clark County to solicit business for the new school year, there's nothing the district can do to stop it.

Chander Joshi, president and CEO, quickly accepts blame for StudentNest's lackluster Clark County debut.

"We have a lot of learning to do," said Joshi, who launched the California-based company two years ago. "The growing pains were definitely there."

Joshi said his company's Clark County representative had difficulty reaching many of the families who signed up for tutoring, some of whom switched schools or left town. And computers showed up damaged and broken, delaying delivery.

The computers that did arrive were outdated and families reported numerous technical problems.

The company doesn't outfit students with high-powered desktop systems, but rather provides a basic device that will allow them to take part in the online instruction, Joshi said. Some parents didn't understand that and were disappointed by what they got.

"This isn't a gimmick . It's an educational tool," Joshi said.

The federally funded tutoring program, part of the No Child Left Behind Act, has become a billion-dollar industry that is loosely monitored and regulated. There are no educational requirements for the tutors who work with students, and companies are free to employ any number of instructional techniques, from online instruction to one-on-one sessions to group classes.

Steve Pines, executive director of the Education Industry Association, said the vast majority of providers are companies with long-standing, positive relationships with school districts.

At the same time, there are plenty of newcomers to the marketplace. The association promotes a code of ethics for tutoring companies, which bans the use of financial incentives to entice students, parents or teachers to sign up for services. Twelve states - but not Nevada - have endorsed the code.

He cautioned parents to find out who their child's tutor will be, exactly what subjects will be taught and how often they should expect progress reports. It's also important to determine that the tutoring program is aligned with the student's regular classroom instruction.

As for StudentNest's status in Clark County, Joshi said his company won't stay where it's not wanted. He has contracts in nine other states and plenty of work to keep him busy.

"We're here to provide a service, and the district wants what's best for the students as well," Joshi said. "At the end of the day (if) it's not a good fit, we would be happy not to continue."